As Theo sped down the quiet streets, his mind was filled with memories that had just resurfaced. Memories long locked away slowly opened like the pages of a book fluttering in the wind.
He remembered how Alvano once lost control of his power back when they were still in middle school.
At that time, Alvano, who was always quiet and calm, suddenly exploded. His rage erupted like a volcano. No one could stop him.
Theo could still clearly see how the four students who often bullied Alvano screamed in terror. They used to laugh at him, belittle him, treat him like trash. But when Alvano snapped, they saw him as a monster.
The school walls collapsed, the windows shattered into pieces. The ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck. Other students ran in panic, while the four bullies were trapped in the middle of the chaos.
No one could stop Alvano.
No one… except Theo.
Theo remembered how he charged straight into the center of the destruction.
At that moment, fear didn't exist in his vocabulary. He didn't care if his body was hit by shards of glass or debris from falling walls. Theo knew he had power—a power that made him unable to be hurt. And only he could approach Alvano then.
He saw him—Alvano standing amid the ruins, his face filled with hatred and fear at the same time. Eyes burning with both anger and sorrow.
Theo lunged forward and hugged him tightly.
"Stop, Vano!"
Alvano groaned, his body trembling violently. He was aware of what he was doing, but he couldn't control himself.
"I… I can't stop…!"
"It's okay," Theo whispered. "I'm here." He gently patted Vano's back.
"There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. Calm down. Take control of yourself," he kept saying.
Alvano's body stiffened, then slowly relaxed. The raging power suddenly vanished. Silence filled the air, broken only by the soft sound of Alvano's quiet sobs as he finally collapsed into Theo's embrace.
He cried like a child who had just lost everything.
But the incident didn't end there.
There was a teacher who had seen everything from behind the shattered ruins of the building. His eyes were filled with terror, but before he could do anything, someone arrived.
"What happened, how could all of this happen because of that child?" the teacher stammered from behind the rubble.
Theo kept stroking Alvano until he finally calmed down, though his face still showed deep worry.
His power had destroyed almost the entire school building. He thought it must have taken many lives.
"You're not at fault. This is just karma for them," Theo said, looking straight at Vano's face.
In the stillness surrounding them, footsteps echoed toward them—slow, deliberate steps.
An old man with a long white beard.
Alvano's grandfather.
He walked closer to them, his face full of serenity, as if he had already known everything before arriving.
"You did very well, Theo. Forgive me for coming late."
Alvano's grandfather knelt, pressing his forehead against the foreheads of both boys.
"You will not remember this," he whispered softly.
Theo felt something stir inside his mind, like a fog slowly enveloping his memories. A strange drowsiness took over him.
Alvano's grandfather then approached the teacher who was still hiding, staring deeply into his eyes before erasing the man's memories with a single touch.
"W-What are you trying to do, who are you?!" the teacher cried, but the threatening look from Alvano's grandfather made him collapse instantly.
After that, the old man lifted both Theo and Alvano, who were unconscious, carrying them to a place where rescuers could easily find them.
He made the entire incident appear to be the result of a natural disaster.
And the next day, their school appeared in the news as a victim of a massive earthquake.
However, Theo now knew the truth. It wasn't an earthquake. It was the rampage of a boy who had lost control of his power.
And now, after all these years, that memory had returned.
Theo clenched his teeth, gripping the handlebars of his motorcycle tighter.
He realized there were many things that had been hidden from him all this time.
Theo kept riding at a steady pace. His mind was still trapped in the memories that had resurfaced.
Alvano's grandfather…
That old man must have possessed an extraordinary ability. He hadn't just erased their memories—he had sealed them away for years.
If he knew that Theo had recovered his memories… would that bring danger—or something else entirely?
Theo sighed softly. For now, it was better to pretend. Just act as if he still remembered nothing.
After all, he had only begun recalling bits and pieces of that incident since early in the first semester of grade ten. The memories had come like scattered puzzle pieces, difficult to piece together—until now, when everything became clear.
He pulled over in front of a small shop that looked simple yet filled with electronic components.
A sign reading "Wijaya Repair Service" hung above the entrance.
Theo got off his bike and entered the shop. As soon as he did, a man in his forties with a friendly face greeted him warmly.
"Theo! Well, look who finally decided to show up!" the man exclaimed cheerfully.
"Haha, sorry, sir, I just got the time," Theo replied casually.
But the man's eyes quickly shifted toward the motorcycle Theo had ridden. His eyes widened instantly.
"Holy—Where on earth did you get a bike that cool?!"
Theo smirked. "A gift from a friend."
"A gift?! What kind of friend gives a luxury bike like that?"
Theo just chuckled. He started joking with the shop owner while picking up his repaired phone.
Even though his mind was still filled with questions about the past, at least for now, he could relax a little.
The shop owner kept staring at Theo's bike with a look of awe and slight envy.
"I mean, I'm shocked, but not too shocked," he said with a grin. "You go to Velmont High School, after all. That's the school for the rich kids."
Theo chuckled, letting the man continue his rambling.
"Looks like you've got a really rich friend, huh? Because that bike… isn't something an ordinary student could afford." He said teasingly, glancing at Theo with a knowing look.
Theo simply shrugged. "Let's just say I got lucky."
He reached into his pocket and handed over some cash for the phone repair.
"Here's the payment."
The man accepted the money, still muttering in disbelief, but finally just shook his head and laughed softly.
"Alright, try not to break your phone again, okay?"
Theo chuckled and waved. "I'll try."
As soon as he stepped out of the shop, he turned on his phone—instantly greeted by dozens, maybe even hundreds, of notifications.
Theo sighed. "Guess I'll have to sort through these later."
Without wasting any more time, he hurried home before the night got any darker. He didn't want his brand-new, spotless bike to get a single scratch on the way.